


Wasn't Looking for This

by IprotectKennyP (dauntperplexity)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 11:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13247052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dauntperplexity/pseuds/IprotectKennyP
Summary: Jaden was better in the background, in a more supporting role. There, he could watch and make decisions depending on what he saw.And he saw a lot of Kent.





	Wasn't Looking for This

**Author's Note:**

> I named him. Mostly because one of the most unrealistic things is that there hasn't been a character named Aiden/Jayden/Kaedyn/Braedin/etc.

In the years leading up to the 2009 draft, the Las Vegas Aces played it smart. They made the right moves so that when the draft finally came along, they were lucky enough to get two picks in the top 15.

They had made the right phone calls because everyone had wanted to see if the Zimmermann-Parson connection would carry from the Juniors into the NHL. If they didn’t play together their first season, it was a guarantee that they would within three.

Then Jack Zimmermann pulled out of the draft just days before it which left the Las Vegas Aces scrambling.

With their first pick, the Las Vegas Aces selected, from Rimouski, Quebec Major Junior Hockey league, Kent Parson. 

With their fourteenth pick, the Las Vegas Aces selected, from Plymouth, Ontario Hockey League, Jaden Scrapansky.

Which was a surprise to most people.

Especially Jaden Scrapansky.

He had not expected to go in the first round since he didn’t think that the Aces needed a D-man. Apparently a rebuild was in the cards. And the Aces were expecting to do it around Zimmermann.

Now, they were going to build it around Kent instead.

Jaden was grateful that he wasn’t roped into it, because he knew that he would not be able to handle the pressure. He was better in the background, in a more supporting role. There, he could watch and make decisions depending on what he saw. 

And he saw a lot of Kent. 

In a corner tapping on his phone.

Away from his teammates checking his phone.

Walking out of the arena shaking his head looking at his phone.

Jaden assumed Kent was close to his family and just missed home.

Jaden felt the same way. Vegas was different from home in at least a hundred different ways. 

Until one day, after a big game, the older Aces actually let them drink, and he watched their number one draft pick drink half their team under the table. It earned Kent a little bit of respect from the veterans on the team. It was equally impressive and scary. 

Since Jaden had volunteered to be the designated driver, he was the one who was tasked with taking Kent home.

Which was unsettling.

Looking at Kent, Jaden would not have been able to guess that Kent had drank as much as he did. Which was probably too much. Kent looked unaffected. 

Ten minutes away from Kent’s place, he spoke up. “I’m not supposed to be here,” Kent said as he stared at the nearest billboard. “I should be in New York.”

“Something going on at home?” Jaden asked.

Kent shook his head. “No,” he said softly. “The Islanders were gonna pick me second.”

“What are you talking about?” This wasn’t news to anyone. Everyone knew that Zimmermann was going first. Parson was going second. 

“Number one draft pick doesn’t belong to me.”

Jaden had never seen this doubt from Kent before. He was always so confident and assured. He did not expect this side to Kent. He was not sure how he felt about it. “Parser, you’re drunk.”

Kent let out a short laugh. “I am.” He sat up and stretched. “You called me Parser.”

Jaden looked over as they came up to a red light. “Is that okay?”

Kent shrugged. “Everyone needs a hockey nickname.” He sighed and leaned against the window again. It was a few minutes before he spoke up again. “He used to call me Kenny.”

“Who?” he asked, hoping he would get an answer. 

Kent let out a shaky breath. “I just want him to call.”

“Parser?”

“I have so many secrets, Scraps. You think the Aces will still want me if I... they come out?”

Jaden looked over after they turned into his neighborhood. “You’re allowed to have secrets, man. I have secrets.” They were dumb ones, but he still had them. “As long as they’re not hurting anyone.”

Kent brought his hands up to rub his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind for the future.” He dropped his hands, looked up, and saw that they had pulled into the driveway. “Oh. That was a quick drive.” He opened the door and stepped out of the car.

“You okay?” Jaden asked before Kent could shut the door.

Kent bent down to look into the car. He smiled was soon to be his patented Parson smile. “I’m always okay, Scrapansky.”

That wasn’t true. In the few months of knowing Kent, Jaden had seen days on and off the ice where Kent was definitely not okay. But he wasn’t about to call him out on it. That was for another day. Or another season.

“You called me Scraps earlier.”

“I did?” Kent looked surprised and was probably drunker than either of them realized. 

“Everyone needs a hockey nickname,” Jaden said. 

“That’s true.” Kent let out a laugh that was somewhere between forced and genuine. 

Jaden couldn’t tell which way it leaned more toward. He hoped he’d have enough time to figure it out. “You gonna be okay?”

Kent nodded. “Just a few steps to the front door. Then a few stairs to my room. I’ll be right as rain, or whatever, in the morning.”

“Okay.”

Kent stood up and shut the door. He was ready to head to the front door, but, instead, he headed to the driver’s side of Jaden’s car. He tapped on the window and waited for Jaden to roll it down. “Thanks,” he said, once he could see his teammate’s face.

“For the ride?” Jaden asked. He shook his head. “No need to thank me. I volunteered for it.”

“I guess you did.” Kent brought his hand up to rub his eye before dropping it. “You’re a good guy, Scraps.”

Maybe that was true. Maybe it wasn’t. Jaden did appreciate that Kent seemed to think he was. “I try.”

“Such a good guy answer.” Kent put his hand on Jaden’s shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks. Drive safe, okay?” Kent let go and headed into the house.

Jaden stayed long enough to watch the lights in the house turn on and off until Kent ended up in what Jaden knew was his bedroom. 

Then he headed home. 

He looked at the clock in his car and saw that it was late. He had a half hour drive to get to the other side of town. Luckily, there was no traffic so it was going to be an easy trip. 

The empty road and quietness gave him some time to think.

It was the first time since he’d arrived in Vegas that he hated living so far away from his fellow rookie. He could tell Kent needed looking after, but he could only do so much half an hour away.

Jaden had volunteered himself to be the one to do it. He figured he’d do what he could until he was traded.

Rookies stuck together.

He had his fellow rookie’s back.

Because someone on their team needed to.

The next morning, when Jaden arrived at the practice arena, he saw that most of his teammates were hung over. But not Kent. At least, as far as he could tell. He watched as Kent walked over and sit down next to him. “Hey,” Jaden said.

“Older Troy said you’re the one that brought me home last night.”

“You don’t remember?”

Kent shook his head. “I remember shot number four. And then nothing.”

“Oh,” Jaden said. That was probably for the best. For Kent. 

“I do anything embarrassing?”

“Embarrassing, no,” Jaden said. Unexpected.Yes.

“Well. Thanks for getting me home,” he said. “You’re a good guy, Scrapansky.”

Jaden wasn’t going to mention that he had already said that to him the night before. And with more sincerity, even if him saying it just now still sounded pretty sincere. “Scraps,” said. “You already named me Scraps.”

Kent smiled. Relaxed. And Genuine. Like it was last night. “Scraps.” He squeezed Jaden’s arm before leaving so he could get ready.

Jaden watched Kent head into the locker room without talking to anyone. 

But he did have his phone in his hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at zimmboniandbitty.


End file.
